The new practical housekeeping

The common practice of preparing mustard for the table with vinegar, or still more, with boiling water, materially checks the development of those peculiar principles on which its pungency or strength almost entirely depends, and cold water may cause it to ferment. It should therefore be mixed with water that has been boiled and cooled to lukewarm. Put the mustard in a cup with a small pinch of salt and mix with it very gradually sufficient water to make it drop from the spoon without being watery. Stir and mix well, rubbing the lumps down with the back of a spoon until smooth, and do not add flavoring until this paste is made. Mustard is much better freshly made, and only a small quantity should be mixed at once. Barberry Catsup.— Three quarts barberries stewed and strained, four quarts cranberries, one cup raisins, a large quince and four small onions, all stewed with a quart of wa-ter and strained. Mix these ingredients with the barberries and add half cup vinegar, three-fourths cup salt, two cups sugar, one dessert-spoon each ground clove and ground allspice, two tablespoons each black pepper and celery seed, and one of ground mustard, one teaspoon each cayenne, cinnamon and ginger, and a nutmeg. Let the whole boil one minute ; if too thick add vinegar or water. With the quantities given about three quarts of catsup can be made. Cherry Catsup. — One pint pure cherry juice, half pound sugar, teaspoon each ground cloves and cinnamon. Boil to thick syrup and Bottle. • Cucumber Catsup, — Peel, seed and grate on coarse grater, one dozen large green cucumbers ; put the pulp in a large towel and wring out all moisture that can be extracted ; peel and grate or chop fine four large onions and mix with the grated cucumber, adding one ounce celerv seed, h japing teaspoon white pepper, tablespoon salt, half pint salad oil or American Cooking Oil, and sufficient vinegar to make as thin as ordinary catsup. When all are thoroughly blended put into wide-mouthed glass jars, put a teaspoon oil in top of each jar and seal air tight ; op peel and chop three dozen cucumbers and eighteen onions very fine; sprinkle over them three-fourths pint table salt, put the whole in a sieve and let drain overnight ; add a cup mustard seed, half cup ground black pepper, mix well, and cover with good cider vinegar. ^ Currant Catsup. — ^Take juice of five pounds of currants, three pounds sugar, one pint vinegar, two tablespoons ground cinnamon, one each of cloves, allspice and black pepper, one grated nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Cook one-half hour. Elderberry Catsup — Pick from the stalk as many ripe elder-, berries as are wanted to put down, put into a stone iar with enough strong vinegar to cover them, bake in a hot oven three hours and strain while hot. Boil the liquor thus obtained with cloves, mace, Peppercorns and four or five shallots, enough to give a considerable avor ; taste, and when flavored as liked, put in one-half pound of the best anchovies to every quart of liquor ; stir and boil only until dissolved ; bottle in pint bottles and cork carefully, sealing by dipping corks in hot sealing-wax.